By Julie Bielenberg

Denver’s longest continuously run hotel, the AAA Four Diamond-rated The Oxford Hotel, is ringing in the holiday season with an extraordinary achievement, 128 years of business. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the exquisite, 80-room boutique hotel includes a full-service day spa, hair salon and fitness center, 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and the legendary The Cruise Room bar. 

“Denver is a new city, there are cities further West with much longer histories, 128 years is a baby, but a milestone for us!” exclaims Dana Crawford, Oxford co-owner and renowned urban preservationist.

Historic beginnings
The five-story Oxford Hotel hosted its first guests in 1891, during Denver’s premiere golden era. There was a population boom, the city had become third largest in the West, and massive railroad networks carried rich, mountain resources to the Plains. Its detail and construction are so sound, that most of the structure has remained the same for more than a century.

Designed by Denver architect Frank Edbrooke, and constructed by brewing tycoons Adolph Zang, Philip Feldhauser, and William Mygatt, the hotel was revered as a modern marvel of the day with electric lighting, efficient steam heat, and a dedicated power plant. The first-class hotel, easily accessible from Union Station, also housed many premiere facilities of the day—a barbershop, library, dining rooms, pharmacy, and more.

Annual tradition
The annual Oxford Dolls’ Tea, a multi-generational celebration hosted for decades, takes place Dec. 8, 2019, from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Enjoy a classic tea party featuring tea, tea sandwiches, hot cocoa, and treats. Children big and small, are encouraged to bring their favorite doll along to enjoy the festivities, including a special ballet performance by the Arvada Dance Center, where they can meet and get a photograph with the ballerinas after the show. The price is $65 for adults, and 45 for children 12 and under.

Toast the town
If there is one thing a visitor should do when entering the lobby of this iconic hotel, it’s “Turn left if it’s after 4 pm!” exclaims Crawford. “The Cruise Room hasn’t changed a bit since the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. It’s on the National Registrar for its art deco preservation. I love a martini at the bar, but if you don’t have the desire, at least go in and see the space that’s been woven into the city’s history.” 

Fresh eats
Urban Farmer steakhouse, adjacent to the hotel, celebrates the fresh and local viability of regional resources that Crawford states is a “continual philosophical direction for The Oxford.” Helmed by Executive Chef Chris Starkus, the menu reflects seasonally-driven produce, nose-to-tail cuts of naturally-raised meat, and a beverage program featuring classic Americana cocktails like the “Dark & Stormy” and the “Daisy” made with Colorado spirits, alongside local Denver craft beers.

Not to miss
The Oxford Spa, Club & Salon, located on the lower level next to the fitness center, provides respite and sanctuary from the hectic holidays and cold winter breezes. Choose from more than two-dozen services and treatments, including hair, nails, facial, massage, soaks, wraps, baths, and more.

Julie Bielenberg is Colorado’s leading dude ranch and agritourism writer, and frequent contributor to EnCompass.